Our Little Ladies

We bought four chickens from Western Farm Center in Santa Rosa on Monday, January 17th.  We bought one black Australorp,named Soupy, one white Plymouth Rock, named Big Spoon, and two red Sexlinks, named Stella and Juniper.  We brought them home and watched in excitement as they acclimated to their new surroundings.  We were told they were all approximately 3 1/2 months old, but Big Spoon (white Plymouth) and Soupy (black Australorp) are much larger than the red sex links.  The pecking order was obvious from the first day we brought them home.  Big Spoon is definitely the head hen, and also kind of mean, which is how she got her name; she loves to stir it up.  Soupy and Stella are vying for second in command, and little Juniper is bringing up the rear of the flock.  Although Big Spoon asserts her dominance over the others in the flock, when they are scared or feel threatened, she stands in between them and the perceived threat.  They do everything as a flock, from eating, to exploring, to grooming themselves and sleeping. 



Big Spoon



Stella



Soupy

Juniper